A Normal Life Please

With this uppercut from the guts of Japanese society, documentary maker Tokachi Tsuchiya shows the other side of the coin: amidst the splendor of towering skyscrapers and metropolitan splendor, we follow truck driver Kaikura. Like thousands of others, he is also suffering from the consequences of liberal labor regulations that have been supposed to help the Japanese economy out of the doldrums since the 1990s: no social safety net, hundreds of unpaid overtime hours and he certainly doesn’t have to count on a vacation. Until he decides to strike back.

This socially critical documentary is a real slap in the face and it is no coincidence that it was awarded the prize for Best Documentary at the 17th Raindance Film Festival in London.

All images: © 2008 “A Normal Life Please”